This invention relates generally to a thermal conditioning system for wind turbines and more particularly to a thermal conditioning system for off-shore wind turbines.
Wind turbines are devices that convert mechanical energy to electrical energy. A typical wind turbine includes a nacelle mounted on a tower housing a drive train for transmitting the rotation of a wind rotor to an electric generator through, usually, a gearbox, and other components such as a yaw drive which rotates the wind turbine, several controllers and a brake. The wind rotor comprises a rotor hub supporting a number of blades extending radially therefrom for capturing the kinetic energy of the wind and causing the driving train rotational motion.
Some components of the wind turbine, particularly the gearbox and the generator are coupled to heat exchangers.
Known thermal conditioning systems of on-shore wind turbines combine the use of ambient air to cool the nacelle with the installation of heat exchangers associated to particular wind turbine components.
However in off-shore wind turbines the ambient air intake into the nacelle is not feasible due to its salinity and corrosive nature.
Taking into account the high powers foreseen for off-shore wind turbines, it seems thus necessary the use of high power, big size, and heavy weight heat exchangers. The cost of these heat exchangers may be very high.
Additionally the dimensions foreseen for said heat exchangers may require its installation outside the nacelle.